Orange defeats White in UTSA Fiesta Spring Game

SAN ANTONIO — Codie Brooks and Blake Terry registered seven tackles apiece to lead the Orange (defense) to a 52-33 victory against the White (offense) in the Fourth Annual UTSA Football Fiesta Spring Game presented by HealthTexas held Saturday before 3,200 fans at the Alamodome.

Using a modified scoring system that rewards one point for first downs, three points for a stop (scoreless drive) and five points for a takeaway, the Orange stormed out to a 27-3 lead through the first quarter and cruised to its second straight win in the annual scrimmage.

Brooks, a sophomore defensive end from Seguin, also posted two of the team’s seven sacks, as he was joined in that column by Jason Neill – who had a pair – Justyn Eddins, Cody Rogers and Robert Singletary. Mauricio Sanchez added six tackles, while Nic Johnston and Dalton Miller each recorded five stops.

The Orange opened the game with three straight stops and then came up with the first of five turnovers when Chase Dahlquist forced and recovered a fumble at the White’s 46-yard line.

After another stop, Tevin Broussard stepped in front of an Austin Robinson pass to push the lead to 22-3. On the next possession, Crosby Adams picked off a Tucker Carter pass in the flat, which likely would have been returned 65 yards for a touchdown had turnovers not been blown dead. The third takeaway still helped stake the Orange to a 27-3 lead after one stanza.

Robinson, a redshirt freshman quarterback from Houston, led the White on a 12-play, 59-yard drive that included three first downs, was highlighted by a 26-yard pass to Earon Holmes and was capped by a 28-yard field goal from Sean Ianno to make it 27-9.

The defense answered two possessions later when Dahlquist, a sophomore from Tulsa, Okla., intercepted a pass deep in White territory to help provide the 38-12 halftime margin.

The offense struck quickly to start the second half, as quarterback Tucker Carter found Kenny Harrison deep over the middle for a 69-yard scoring strike on second down. Ianno’s extra point made it 38-19.

Robinson then led the White on a 14-play, 48-yard scoring march with four first downs and a 40-yard boot from Ianno that pulled the offense to within 38-26 with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.

However, that is as close as the White would get, as the defense recorded stops on the next three possessions. The Orange allowed just one more field goal, a 26-yarder by Ianno, and came up with one final takeaway, a fumble that was recovered by Marcos Curry on the final play of the game, in coasting to the 52-33 win.

Robinson threw for 164 yards on 20-of-34 passing, while Carter completed 11-of-22 passes for 125 yards and a score. Josiah Monroe led all receivers with eight catches for 58 yards and Holmes added three receptions for 46 yards. Brandon Armstrong rushed for 29 yards on 11 carries to lead the ground game.

The Roadrunners will open the 2014 season at Houston on Friday, Aug. 29. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNews.